Red Strings

Luz remembered that her hands were soft, unfurling like a rose in her palms. She imagined the thorns would come, any moment now, ripping them apart. But nothing happened. Just softness. A rose in bloom between her fingertips. The sweet aroma of their breath heavy in the air. She couldn’t look up, a slow blush threatened her cheeks, she knew Celeste was watching her. She could feel the intensity of her stare linger on her eyes and lips.  Luz fidgeted, trying not to look up and say something that would kill the mood. She was in the habit of saying the wrong things lately. Hesitating and laughing when she shouldn’t; creating awkward silences and making people leave a room. Words were a lot of work, she hoped to avoid them at all costs Her breath caught, stopping the spiral of thoughts, as Celeste’s hand slowly traced her shoulder, her collarbone, until it settled under her chin, propping it forward, so that she was staring up at her. Her eyes were like the night. Dark and shimmering black pools of glowing stars, burning thousands of suns away. She couldn’t help but notice how her eyelashes fluttered, and lips parted, between each breath, her hands pressing on her hips, firm and warm. She wanted to speak, say something witty or charming, but nothing came out. It’s for the best. She thought, the words skipping like a record in her brain. It’s for the best. Stay quiet. Instead, she prayed that the heat in her face wasn’t too obvious. They hadn’t spoken in months, yet here they were, in a chance encounter. She had left the library early and walked a different route, half hoping to make it to her dorm before anyone took notice of her. But Celeste noticed her; she always did. She was worried, since their last heated talk, that they would never speak again. She remembered trying to say it back to her, but she hesitated for too long, and Celeste hadn’t waited this time. Instead, she ran off into the dark and they hadn’t spoken since. She hadn’t seen her around, and had started to worry she ruined everything.  It was hard not to stress after all The Happenings. But, those were just rumours. Focus, she’s okay. She’s here.  They were far from campus grounds, by the trees that led to the woods between the University and the City. Surrounded by large and looming trees, she felt it’s bark scratching her back, as she leaned against it. It was slightly uncomfortable, but she didn’t care. Nothing else mattered now that Celeste was okay. A strange calm flowed through her veins, the noise of the leaves in the wind faded with each pant, each want. Celeste’s hands were soft, warm and curious. Flushed and suddenly very shy, Luz averted her eyes and focused her attention on Celeste's deep brown hair. The way it cascaded down her back in long ripples of mahogany, almost matching the trees that surrounded them. She hadn’t noticed how deep into the woods they had wandered. The earth beneath her was warm, and crinkled slightly under their awkward shuffles and pants. Celeste wore a bright green scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. It was almost blinding. Oh god, so beautiful. She looked to the ground, feeling the heat travel downwards, tempting her, tempting fate.

“Look at me,” Celeste whispered, quietly pressing her thigh between Luz’s legs, “I want to see your face.”

She gasped, throwing her head up, feeling the weight of her thigh softly nudge closer, applying just the right pressure to make her heart leap. She felt the bark again, nipping her, and steadied her gaze on her love; the girl that held the universe in her pupils. What time was it? No, she couldn’t ask. She felt time slip between them, the rose petals falling with each blink.

“Sorry, I-” she stuttered, stuck between thoughts, the rumours of what lurked in the dark flashing in her mind. The Happenings had gotten specific and, well, bloody. And they were somewhere unfamiliar, deeper in the forbidden woods, the curfew could be any second. Don’t ruin this. The night was still off limits. Although, Luz was tired of being scared. How dangerous could it be?

“You think I won’t protect you?” Celeste murmured in her neck, breaking her trance with a gentle kiss. Everyone knew about The Happenings; it was impossible not to. Grotesque tales of people being torn apart, their limbs reattached with a red string. Their eyes gouged out, and their mouths stretched with the same crimson thread. She had even heard that they toyed with you, but the details were hazy on that front. Luz couldn’t decipher truth from ghost stories nowadays. It’s not like there had been anything recent.

“You really believe what they say?” There was a flicker of suspicion behind her eyes. Her hands were still firmly holding Luz in place. “That there’s something out there? Hunting us? Playing with us?” she continued with a slight smile.

“I-I don't know, uh, about the last bit,” Luz said. She didn’t know what to do with her hands, so she settled on fiddling with the bottom of Celeste’s scarf. She mumbled, “Definitely the hunting bit, though, right? Although, isn’t it the same to them? Playing and uh-trying to kill us, I guess, right? Well-”

Ok. Stop talking. You’re babbling.

Celeste giggled, the sound like silk in Luz’s ears until the scream ripped it to shreds. A sorrowful wailing screech. It cut the thick air between them, causing the ground to tremor and shake. The earth beneath them convulsed with each wail. It was getting closer. They seemed to freeze, just long enough to notice there was nothing nearby. Fuck. Before Luz could process what to do, she felt Celeste grab her by the wrist, dragging her through the night. RUN. She thought she heard her shout. RUN. RUN. They darted through the streets, reaching a random house, which seemed locked shut. Luz grabbed her head. The sounds of screams ripped through her, causing her ears to bleed. She couldn’t make out where they were going. Soon, after what felt like years of running, the burning in her thighs and stomach came to a slow, throbbing halt as they approached what looked like an abandoned cabin. Hesitantly, Celeste held her hand and with a firm squeeze, guided her inside. The wailing continued, sorrowful and loud, the tremors shaking them, making their teeth rattle. The ringing in Luz’s ears blared as she felt the walls and grounds for a source of light. Luz stumbled on a lantern, luckily charged, and flicked it on. Strangely enough, the cabin was beautiful. There wasn’t much inside aside from large piles of gathered wood, a small log table and a large wooden cabinet in the far corner. It was horrifyingly dark, but the sight oddly reignited the calm in Luz’s veins. It was short lived as the wailing seemed picked up, aggravating the air and wildlife. Luz tried to make out the words, but it was impossible. Sudden gusts of winds, shook trees and rattled the feeble cabin windows. The contents of the deep oak cabinet rattled aggressively. Celeste approached its doors, opening them slightly, unveiling rows of haphazardly labelled wine bottles, caked with dust, shaking and clattering with each shriek and wind. The lantern light, barely aglow, blinked erratically just as confused as Luz was. She could hardly see the outline of the room, except for the perfectly intact rows of dusty wines. Her mother had a collection like this once, many years ago, when drinking for leisure was still possible.  Then the silence came, abrupt as a bullet. The beating of their hearts echoed in the room like a loud knocks. Relax. Luz felt her pulse slow, her heart sigh, the calm from before tasted like honey on her tongue. Hours passed, and nothing. The trees were frozen in place, in time. Not a sound. An eerie quiet and peace. Celeste sighed, and walked to the farthest corner of the cabin, pulling out a wine bottle with an indecipherable label.

“Well, if we’re going to die, we might as well get drunk.”

She laughed, turning to Luz, and sitting beside her again, pulling the cork. The fruity aroma struck and warmed her cheeks. There was a magnetic pull, something drawing her close; she inhaled its scent. Pomegranate. It smelled like pomegranate and sunlight. The night they first met, their hands were so sticky with pomegranate and cherries. The sounds of birds overhead. Free. The wine melting in their throats. Don’t overthink it. Just tell her.  The lantern light buzzed, heating up in her hands, causing Luz to jump and hit her head on the wall. The dull ache throbbing in her skull. They each sipped from the bottle and edged closer to each other. The air as thick as before,  If we’re going to die. Luz let the words linger in her mind. I'm happy it's with you. She leaned forward, holding Celeste in her arms, and pressed her lips against hers, tasting the wine on her tongue. It was strangely bitter now. She deepened the embrace, putting her hands in her hair, and slowly pulled away her scarf. Eyes closed shut, she gripped the back of her head, tugging slightly, and felt a strange texture unravel. Almost like a loose thread, probably from her scarf. It unraveled wildly, as she pulled further. She opened her eyes slightly, kissing intensely, hoping not to break the moment. Celeste had her eyes shut also, her hands around Luz’s waist, gripping her tightly. She had dropped the lantern, and it rolled towards the large stack of abandoned wood and branches. It flickered more sporadically than before; she could have sworn there was something behind the mess of wood. Something familiar. Celeste nuzzled into Luz’s neck, kissing her ardently, biting and licking, the heat from before rising again. Oh god. But now, Luz could see the room a little better, no longer obscured by darkness, although she felt dizzy and slightly dumb. The throbbing in her skull knocked profusely. She squinted through the heavy pants, her eyes settling on the bits of brown that seemed to pool out from the broken heap of abandoned things. Yes, abandoned things, like broken wood. It looked like hair.  Wait…Her vision began to blur as she looked across the room. No wines, nothing but concrete walls. Celeste continued to bite and lick, but this time it felt harsher, crueler, her teeth digging into her neck. She gasped, tugging the strange texture, a single piece of red thread.  Her fallen green scarf shone like an emerald on the ground. A stolen gem. Only now did she notice the small flecks of blood. Luz trembled, and felt the bumps of skin beneath her fingertips; pieces of flesh sewn together. Celeste had stopped moving now, her teeth firmly in place. A low creaking sound crawled out her throat before reaching crescendo. A loud wailing cry bore itself into Luz’s eardrums. Knocking against her skull, harder and faster. Celeste, or remained of her, dug into Luz, tighter and stronger, cutting her flesh. Its jagged teeth dragged down to her shoulder, peeling the skin along the way, tearing her muscle bit by bit. Luz writhed in a horrifying pain, hot tears and snot streaming down her face, yet she didn’t scream, barely whimpered, as it pulled at her stomach, the sounds of quelching soft tissue and guts filling up the room. The lightbulb in the lantern burst, enveloping them in shadows and cries. I love you. The words faded behind the aggressive pulsing pain until her vision was no more. Just darkness. Just hurt. She remembered the rose again. Blooming in between her fingertips, but this time she felt the sting of its thorns.